Kids’ menu

While the little tykes in your life might be happy as elves these days with holiday candy, how do you feed them the rest of the year? I chatted with Leah Brown, who prepares the fresh meals for the kids of Rainbow Daycare (901 P Street).

“We go through approximately 20 gallons of milk a week. We use the recipes provided by the USDA Child [and Adult] Care Food Program to make sure we meet nutrition guidelines.

“We call zucchini ‘Italian cucumber’ and we call broccoli ‘trees’ [to catch their interest]; as children get older, we start using the real names for food. They enjoy fresh veggies, especially carrots and dip.

“We would like to include the children in the preparation of meals more, but time does not allow it. We do try to incorporate one cooking project in the classroom a week, as we feel cooking is an important tool to teach good eating habits.”